Grey and dark brown diarrhea in children: causes, treatment

Why the child may have diarrhea gray

Diarrhea, few adults immediately rushes to the doctor. But to visit the hospital is necessary, if diarrhea occurs in a child and in addition changed the color of the stool. Dark brown or gray diarrhea should alert the parents as this phenomenon is not considered normal and almost always indicates a serious pathology. In this case it can be faster to go to the doctor, as in some diseases, success of treatment depends on the timely appointment of therapy.

Reasons for change the color of the chair

Causes changes in the consistency and color of stool may be different factors. Most often it is the disruption of the normal digestion, which are provoked by different pathogenic microorganisms. Grey or brown diarrhea may be observed in such cases:

The presence of parasites in the digestive tract. Central to all of these diseases designated amoebic dysentery. The incubation period of the disease lasts about one week. When this period expires, there are characteristic disease symptoms of spasmodic pain in the abdomen, weakness and lethargy, and slight fever. All of these symptoms supplements diarrhea gray.

Infection of viral nature. Such pathology in children are very common, which can be attributed to the immature immune system. Many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which are provoked by viruses also occur in children with diarrhea greyish. In addition to watery stools, unusual color of viral illness characterized by such symptoms – high fever and nausea that ends with profuse vomiting.

Infection of bacterial nature. The pathology is caused by the population of the digestive tract by pathogenic bacteria. The incubation period can be quite small from one day to several days. Then often there is a gray diarrhea in children. Related signs of bacterial disease – is a headache, stomach pain, fever and poor appetite.

To determine what exactly was the cause of watery stools grayish or dark brown can be a doctor. For accurate diagnosis must pass a series of tests on the basis of which treatment.

When diarrhoea an unusual color, you should definitely seek the advice of a doctor to prevent dangerous complications.

What else may cause diarrhea gray the child

Watery stools in young children is quite common and in most cases not pose a danger to health. This is due to the imperfection of the digestive organs, or improperly organized nutrition. But in cases when the color of the stool is not yellow, and grey or dirty-brown, you should definitely consult with your pediatrician.

Even if the child has diarrhea gray, but it is not accompanied by other symptoms then it’s safe to say that such changes were caused by new products of feeding or changing formula. Doctors distinguish several innocuous reasons that can cause grey stool in a young child:

If the stool noticeable silver shell similar to soap scum, and a child nourished by cow’s milk, then we can talk about the poor breeding of dairy products.

If watery stool is gray, which has a putrid smell, you must adjust the nutrition of the baby. You should add in the diet and what to exclude – this will be able to suggest a pediatrician.

Diarrhea greyish may be in children who are undergoing treatment with iron preparations.

None of these causes of diarrhoea is not dangerous for the baby’s health. But this is true only in the case that such a change of chair is not accompanied by fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, lethargy, and other unpleasant phenomena. If the child’s condition has deteriorated, you should immediately consult a doctor. Such symptoms may indicate an intestinal infections, e.g. rotavirus. Watery stools, when not treated, can lead to serious complications.

It is worth remembering that young children very quickly dehydrated, which can lead to irreversible consequences.

What to do when diarrhea is an unusual color for the child

If the child has diarrhea brown or grey unusual, the first thing you need to understand the reason for this phenomenon. Sometimes without the assistance of a qualified specialist it is difficult to do, so it is advisable to go to the hospital. Before the visit to the doctor should perform, not does the diet of the child and has not introduced any new products.

If for some reason, to get to the doctor is not, then you can take the following steps:

Give your child plenty to drink, preferably clean boiled water.

If there is a suspicion of rotavirus, the baby is given adsorbents.

Adjust the child’s diet, from the diet to exclude cabbage, legumes and other foods which can cause diarrhea.

For your child it is necessary continuously to watch, if there has been a deterioration, you need to call an ambulance.

If the General condition child is not broken, but only changed color of the stool, then it is permissible to observe the baby for about 2 days. If this phenomenon is caused not pathology, for this time everything comes to normal.

If there is a suspicion that to change the color of the chair contributed to the new milk formula, do not immediately rush to find a new one. Perhaps it is the organism of the baby to adapt to a new food, it does not say, but the digestive system of an infant calculated only on breast milk.

Quite often, the color of the chair changed in the treatment of some medicines, for example, augmentinom, pandalam or so, especially if they are prescribed in a large dose. When you undo these medications, it is back to normal.

When a medical emergency

When the chair ashen lasts for more than 4 days and the baby’s health is deteriorating every day, you must consult a doctor. To alert parents should a high body temperature, retching, abdominal distention and yellowing of the skin.

The doctor will prescribe a series of tests that will need to take to clarify the diagnosis. Early diagnosis is very important for all diseases and change the color of the stool plays an important role.

It is strictly forbidden to give a child without a doctor’s prescription any medicines, in addition to adsorbents and antipyretics.

At the time begun treatment the condition of the child rapidly improved, and he is on the mend. During the rehabilitation period is very important to follow the diet, so as not to burden the digestive organs.